By This is the fourth post in a series on parenting a child who stutters as an adult who stutters. For context, I’ve worked hard to achieve my own personal version of self-acceptance of my stutter, and, therefore, may hold different perspectives on how best to support my son’s journey. I offer my story and that of my family to bring awareness to this part of the stuttering experience that both people who stutter often fear and usually overlook as a transition in their journey that we will have to confront.
The sound of Wik
Starts and restarts
Wwwik – wwwik – wwwik
His accented voice shudders
Eyes search
He anxiously laughs
Because the name
Of his favorite horse in Curious George
Is trapped in a running stutter.
We wait
Patiently
My wife holding back tears
My heart,
breaking
Both
Wondering
What he is struggling to say
And when his stutter will break free.
Ricochet, Ricochet, Ricochet
Mama,
No
Watch my lips
He instructs
Mimicking his teacher
WIC – A – SHEA
He sounds it out fluently.
Hiding her tears
She flees
I kneel in front of him
He senses
Only wanting his mama
She returns,
Proclaiming something got in her eye.
He doesn’t give up,
Making sure she’s okay.
This is parenting stuttering.
You bend
Without
Br…
For more on my experiences of being a parent who stutters, see the following series of posts I've published the last three days for National Stuttering Awareness Week. Onset: My Son's Beautiful Stutter My Only Sunshine: Our Reactions to Stuttering I Have A Son Who Stutters: Acceptance As A Person Who Stutters
Every Waking Moment 